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The following sortable table comprises the 200 most topographically prominent mountain peaks of the
United States of America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguo ...
. The
summit A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used only for ...
of a mountain or hill may be measured in three principal ways: #The
topographic elevation The elevation of a geographic ''location'' is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § ...
of a summit measures the height of the summit above a geodetic sea level.All elevations in the 48
states State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...
of the
contiguous United States The contiguous United States, also known as the U.S. mainland, officially referred to as the conterminous United States, consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the District of Columbia of the United States in central North America. The te ...
include an elevation adjustment from the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 ( NGVD 29) to the
North American Vertical Datum of 1988 The North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88) is the vertical datum for orthometric heights established for vertical control surveying in the United States based upon the General Adjustment of the North American Datum of 1988. It superse ...
( NAVD 88). For further information, please see this
United States National Geodetic Survey The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) is a List of federal agencies in the United States, United States federal agency based in Washington, D.C. that defines and manages a national geographic coordinate system, coordinate system, providing the fou ...
br>note
If the elevation or prominence of a summit is calculated as a range of values, the
arithmetic mean In mathematics and statistics, the arithmetic mean ( ), arithmetic average, or just the ''mean'' or ''average'' is the sum of a collection of numbers divided by the count of numbers in the collection. The collection is often a set of results fr ...
is shown.
#The
topographic prominence In topography, prominence or relative height (also referred to as autonomous height, and shoulder drop in US English, and drop in British English) measures the height of a mountain or hill's summit relative to the lowest contour line encircling ...
of a summit is a measure of how high the summit rises above its surroundings.The
topographic prominence In topography, prominence or relative height (also referred to as autonomous height, and shoulder drop in US English, and drop in British English) measures the height of a mountain or hill's summit relative to the lowest contour line encircling ...
of a summit is the
topographic elevation The elevation of a geographic ''location'' is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § ...
difference between the summit and its highest or key col to a higher summit. The summit may be near its key col or quite far away. The key col for
Denali Denali (), federally designated as Mount McKinley, is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of above sea level. It is the tallest mountain in the world from base to peak on land, measuring . On p. 20 of Helm ...
in
Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
is the
Isthmus of Rivas Attempts to build a canal across Nicaragua to connect the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean stretch back to the early colonial era. Construction of such a shipping route—using the San Juan River as an access route to Lake Nicaragua—was ...
in
Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...
, away.
#The
topographic isolation The topographic isolation of a summit is the minimum geographical distance, horizontal distance to a point of equal elevation, representing a radius of dominance in which the peak is the highest point. It can be calculated for small hills and is ...
(or radius of dominance) of a summit measures how far the summit lies from its nearest point of equal elevation.The
topographic isolation The topographic isolation of a summit is the minimum geographical distance, horizontal distance to a point of equal elevation, representing a radius of dominance in which the peak is the highest point. It can be calculated for small hills and is ...
of a summit is the
great-circle distance The great-circle distance, orthodromic distance, or spherical distance is the distance between two points on a sphere, measured along the great-circle arc between them. This arc is the shortest path between the two points on the surface of the ...
to its nearest point of equal elevation.
Denali is one of only three summits on Earth with more than of topographic prominence. Three summits of the United States possess a prominence greater than , six exceed , ten exceed , 19 exceed , 45 exceed , 128
ultra-prominent summit An ultra-prominent peak, or ultra for short, is a mountain summit with a topographic prominence of or more; it is also called a P1500. The prominence of a peak is the minimum height of climb to the summit on any route from a higher peak, or fro ...
s exceed , and 264 major summits exceed of topographic prominence. __TOC__


Most prominent summits

Of the 200 most prominent summits of the United States, 84 are located in Alaska, 17 in California, 17 in Nevada, 14 in Washington, 12 in Montana, 11 in Utah, nine in Arizona, seven in Hawaii, six in Colorado, six in Oregon, four in Wyoming, four in Idaho, four in New Mexico, two in North Carolina, and one each in New Hampshire, New York, Tennessee, Texas and Maine. Four of these peaks lie on the international border between Alaska and British Columbia, four lie on the international border between Alaska and Yukon, and one lies on the state border between Tennessee and North Carolina.


Gallery

Denali Mt McKinley.jpg, 1.
Denali Denali (), federally designated as Mount McKinley, is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of above sea level. It is the tallest mountain in the world from base to peak on land, measuring . On p. 20 of Helm ...
in Alaska is the highest summit of the United States and all of North America. KeckObservatory.jpg, 2.
Mauna Kea Mauna Kea (, ; abbreviation for ''Mauna a Wākea''); is a dormant Shield volcano, shield volcano on the Hawaii (island), island of Hawaii. Its peak is above sea level, making it the List of U.S. states by elevation, highest point in Hawaii a ...
on the
Island of Hawaii Hawaii is the List of islands of the United States by area, largest island in the United States, located in the Hawaii, state of Hawaii, the southernmost state in the union. It is the southeasternmost of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of volcani ...
is the tallest mountain on Earth as measured from base (submarine in its case) to summit. Mount Rainier 5917s.JPG, 3.
Mount Rainier Mount Rainier ( ), also known as Tahoma, is a large active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest in the United States. The mountain is located in Mount Rainier National Park about south-southeast of Seattle. With an off ...
is the highest summit of Washington and the
Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington (state), Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as m ...
. Fairweather.jpg, 4.
Mount Fairweather Mount Fairweather (or ''Tsalxaan'' in the Tlingit language) is a mountain located east of the Pacific Ocean on the Canada–United States border. With an elevation of , it is the tallest mountain in British Columbia and the seventh-tallest mou ...
lies on the Alaska-British Columbia international border. MtBlackburn-KennicottGlacier.jpg, 5. Mount Blackburn in Alaska is the highest summit of the
Wrangell Mountains The Wrangell Mountains are a high mountain range of eastern Alaska in the United States. Much of the range is included in Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park and Preserve. The Wrangell Mountains are almost entirely volcanic in origin, and they i ...
. Mount Hayes.jpg, 6.
Mount Hayes Mount Hayes is the highest mountain in the eastern Alaska Range, in the U.S. state of Alaska. Despite not being a fourteener, it is one of the largest peaks in the United States in terms of rise above local terrain. For example, the Northeast Fa ...
is the highest summit of the eastern
Alaska Range The Alaska Range is a relatively narrow, mountain range in the Southcentral Alaska, southcentral region of the U.S. state of Alaska, from Lake Clark at its southwest endSources differ as to the exact delineation of the Alaska Range. ThBoard on G ...
. Mt Saint Elias.jpg, 7.
Mount Saint Elias Mount Saint Elias (Was'eitushaa also designated Boundary Peak 186), the second-highest mountain in both Canada and the United States, stands on the Yukon and Alaska border about southwest of Mount Logan, the highest mountain in Canada. The Cana ...
is the second highest summit of both Canada and the United States. Mount Whitney 2003-03-25.jpg, 9. Mount Whitney highest summit of the
Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...
and California. Haleakalā, Peak Shadow.jpg, 10.
Haleakalā Haleakalā (; Hawaiian: ), or the East Maui Volcano, is a massive, active shield volcano that forms more than 75% of the Hawaiian Islands, Hawaiian Island of Maui. The western 25% of the island is formed by another volcano, Mauna Kahalawai, als ...
is the highest summit of the Island of Maui. MtShasta aerial.JPG, 11.
Mount Shasta Mount Shasta ( ; Shasta people, Shasta: ''Waka-nunee-Tuki-wuki''; Karuk language, Karuk: ''Úytaahkoo'') is a Volcano#Volcanic activity, potentially active stratovolcano at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California. A ...
in California is the highest summit of the southern
Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington (state), Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as m ...
. Shishaldin.jpg, 12. Mount Shishaldin on Unimak Island in
Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
is the highest summit of the
Aleutian Islands The Aleutian Islands ( ; ; , "land of the Aleuts"; possibly from the Chukchi language, Chukchi ''aliat'', or "island")—also called the Aleut Islands, Aleutic Islands, or, before Alaska Purchase, 1867, the Catherine Archipelago—are a chain ...
. Mt. Redoubt2009.jpg, 13. Redoubt Volcano is the highest summit of the
Aleutian Range The Aleutian Range is a major mountain range located in southwest Alaska. It extends from Chakachamna Lake (80 miles/130 km southwest of Anchorage) to Unimak Island, which is at the tip of the Alaska Peninsula. It includes all of the mountain ...
. Mt. Elbert.jpg, 14.
Mount Elbert Mount Elbert is the highest summit of the Rocky Mountains of North America. With an elevation of , it is also the highest point in the U.S. state of Colorado and the second-highest summit in the contiguous United States after Mount Whitney, w ...
is the highest summit of Colorado and the
Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Can ...
. Mount Hood reflected in Mirror Lake, Oregon.jpg, 28.
Mount Hood Mount Hood, also known as Wy'east, is an active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range and is a member of the Cascade Volcanic Arc. It was formed by a subduction zone on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast and rests in the Pacific N ...
is the highest summit of Oregon. Wrangells1.jpg, 29. Mount Sanford in Alaska is the third highest volcano in the United States. MountForaker.jpg, 35.
Mount Foraker Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, ...
is the second highest major summit of the
Alaska Range The Alaska Range is a relatively narrow, mountain range in the Southcentral Alaska, southcentral region of the U.S. state of Alaska, from Lake Clark at its southwest endSources differ as to the exact delineation of the Alaska Range. ThBoard on G ...
. Aa channel flow from Mauna Loa.jpg, 38.
Mauna Loa Mauna Loa (, ; ) is one of five volcanoes that form the Island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. Mauna Loa is Earth's largest active volcano by both mass and volume. It was historically considered to be the largest ...
on the
Island of Hawaii Hawaii is the List of islands of the United States by area, largest island in the United States, located in the Hawaii, state of Hawaii, the southernmost state in the union. It is the southeasternmost of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of volcani ...
is the most voluminous mountain on Earth. Gannet Peak with Gannett Glacier.jpg, 40.
Gannett Peak Gannett Peak is the highest mountain peak in the U.S. state of Wyoming at . It lies in the Wind River Range within the Bridger Wilderness of the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Straddling the Continental Divide along the boundary between F ...
is the highest summit of the
Wind River Range The Wind River Range (or "Winds" for short) is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in western Wyoming in the United States. The range runs roughly NW–SE for approximately . The Continental Divide follows the crest of the range and incl ...
and Wyoming. Mt. Bona, Alaska.jpg, 43. Mount Bona in Alaska is the highest volcano in the United States. Grand Teton in Winter-NPS.jpg, 46. Grand Teton in Wyoming is the highest summit of the
Teton Range The Teton Range is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in North America. It extends for approximately in a north–south direction through the U.S. state of Wyoming, east of the Idaho state line. It is south of Yellowstone National Park, ...
. Kings Peak Close Up.jpg, 49. Kings Peak is the highest summit of the Uinta Range and Utah. Mt. Washington from Bretton Woods.JPG, 59. Mount Washington is the highest summit of the White Mountains and New Hampshire. Mount Mitchell 640x480.jpg, 62.
Mount Mitchell Mount Mitchell (''Attakulla'' in Cherokee) is the highest peak of the Appalachian Mountains and the highest peak in mainland North America east of the Mississippi River. It is located near Burnsville in Yancey County, North Carolina in the B ...
is the highest summit of North Carolina and the
Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a mountain range in eastern to northeastern North America. The term "Appalachian" refers to several different regions associated with the mountain range, and its surrounding terrain ...
. Humphreys Peak KPW.jpg, 64.
Humphreys Peak Humphreys Peak (, "its summit never melts") is the highest mountain and the second most prominent peak after Mount Graham in the U.S. state of Arizona. With an elevation of , it is located within the Kachina Peaks Wilderness in the Coconin ...
is the highest summit of the San Francisco Peaks and Arizona. BorahPeakID.jpg, 65.
Borah Peak Borah Peak, also known as Mount Borah or Beauty Peak, is a mountain in the western United States and the highest summit in Idaho. One of the most prominent peaks in the contiguous United States, it is located in the central section of the Lost ...
is the highest summit of the
Lost River Range The Lost River Range is a high mountain range of the Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle di ...
and Idaho. Tanaga2003.jpg, 68. Tanaga Volcano is the highest summit of Tanaga Island in the
Aleutian Islands The Aleutian Islands ( ; ; , "land of the Aleuts"; possibly from the Chukchi language, Chukchi ''aliat'', or "island")—also called the Aleut Islands, Aleutic Islands, or, before Alaska Purchase, 1867, the Catherine Archipelago—are a chain ...
. Pikes Peak CO.jpg, 89.
Pikes Peak Pikes Peak is the List of mountain ranges of Colorado#Mountain ranges, highest summit of the southern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in North America. The Ultra-prominent peak, ultra-prominent fourteener is located in Pike National Forest, ...
in Colorado was the inspiration for ''
America the Beautiful "America the Beautiful" is an American patriotic song. Its lyrics were written by Katharine Lee Bates and its music was composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward at Grace Church (Newark), Grace Episcopal Church in Newark, New ...
''. Granite Peak Montana 2.jpg, 143. Granite Peak is the highest summit of the Beartooth Range and Montana. Mt. Hunter from NW (Kahilta Base Camp).jpg, 153. Mount Hunter is the third highest major summit of the
Alaska Range The Alaska Range is a relatively narrow, mountain range in the Southcentral Alaska, southcentral region of the U.S. state of Alaska, from Lake Clark at its southwest endSources differ as to the exact delineation of the Alaska Range. ThBoard on G ...
.


See also

* List of mountain peaks of North America ** List of mountain peaks of Greenland ** List of mountain peaks of Canada **
List of mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains This article comprises three sortable tables of major mountain peaksThis article defines a significant summit as a summit with at least of topographic prominence, and a major summit as a summit with at least of topographic prominence. All ...
**
List of mountain peaks of the United States This article comprises three sortable tables of major mountain peaks of the United States of America. The summit of a mountain or hill may be measured in three main ways: #The topographic elevation of a summit measures the height of the tip o ...
*** List of the highest major summits of the United States **** List of United States fourteeners *** *** List of the most isolated major summits of the United States *** List of mountain peaks of Alaska *** List of mountain peaks of California ***
List of mountain peaks of Colorado This is a list of major mountain peaks in the U.S. State of Colorado. This article comprises three sortable tables of major mountain peaks in Colorado. The summit of a mountain or hill may be measured in three principal ways: #The topographi ...
*** List of mountain peaks of Hawaii ** List of mountain peaks of México ** List of mountain peaks of Central America ** List of mountain peaks of the Caribbean *
United States of America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguo ...
**
Geography of the United States The term "United States," when used in the geographic sense, refers to the contiguous United States (sometimes referred to as thLower 48 including the District of Columbia not as a state), Alaska, Hawaii, the five insular territories of Pue ...
** Geology of the United States *** :Mountains of the United States **** commons:Mountains of the United States *
Physical geography Physical geography (also known as physiography) is one of the three main branches of geography. Physical geography is the branch of natural science which deals with the processes and patterns in the natural environment such as the atmosphere, h ...
**
Topography Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the landforms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sci ...
***
Topographic elevation The elevation of a geographic ''location'' is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § ...
***
Topographic prominence In topography, prominence or relative height (also referred to as autonomous height, and shoulder drop in US English, and drop in British English) measures the height of a mountain or hill's summit relative to the lowest contour line encircling ...
***
Topographic isolation The topographic isolation of a summit is the minimum geographical distance, horizontal distance to a point of equal elevation, representing a radius of dominance in which the peak is the highest point. It can be calculated for small hills and is ...


Notes


References


External links


United States Geological Survey (USGS)

Geographic Names Information System @ USGSUnited States National Geodetic Survey (NGS)

Geodetic Glossary @ NGS

NGVD 29 to NAVD 88 online elevation converter @ NGS

Survey Marks and Datasheets @ NGSBivouac.comPeakbagger.comPeaklist.orgSummitpost.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prominent Summits Of The United States, List Of The Most *Prominent United States, List Of The Most Prominent Summits Of The